愛華網(wǎng)【英語習(xí)語】
up the wrong tree
找錯(cuò)了人、弄錯(cuò)對(duì)象
佳中
有一天，John去問Tom借錢，Tom不肯借。John很生氣，跑來告訴你這件事。你知
道Tom這個(gè)人特別小氣，從不肯借錢給別人，于是你回答John說：If you expectto
borrow moneyfrom him, you are barking up the wrong tree. 句中 barkup
the wrongtree 是“找錯(cuò)了人”、“找錯(cuò)對(duì)象”的意思。
bark up the wrongtree是英語中的一個(gè)習(xí)語。據(jù)記載，該習(xí)語源于17世紀(jì)美
國殖民地時(shí)期。當(dāng)時(shí)的美洲人煙稀少，開發(fā)西部的拓荒者靠打獵為生。狩獵需要獵狗，
不過，再聰明的獵狗有時(shí)也會(huì)被獵物耍弄。比如，浣熊常常晝眠夜出，到了夜里，它悄
悄爬到別的樹上，讓獵狗誤認(rèn)為它還躲在空了的樹洞里睡覺。結(jié)果，獵狗對(duì)著錯(cuò)誤的目
標(biāo)狂吠不已 (tobark up the wrong tree)。
現(xiàn)在這個(gè)習(xí)語被公眾所接受，如果一個(gè)人看錯(cuò)了目標(biāo)，找錯(cuò)了對(duì)象，以錯(cuò)誤的判斷
采取行動(dòng)，都可用bark upthe wrong tree。漢譯時(shí)可譯成“找錯(cuò)了人”、“找錯(cuò)對(duì)
象”、“錯(cuò)怪了人”、“找錯(cuò)了地方”、“弄錯(cuò)了目標(biāo)”、“走錯(cuò)廟門”、“打錯(cuò)了算
盤”、“大錯(cuò)特錯(cuò)”等等。
1）You are barking up the wrong tree if you ask herto help you,
becauseshe never helpsanyone.
如果你要求她幫忙的話，那你就找錯(cuò)人了，因?yàn)樗幌虿粠腿说摹?/p>
2）If he thinks hecan fool her by saying so, you are reallybarking
up the wrong tree.
如果他認(rèn)為你這么說就能騙得了我，那你真的找錯(cuò)對(duì)象。
3）You have barkedup the wrong three. I didn’t say anything against
you in the conversation.
你錯(cuò)怪我了，那次談話我沒有說任何不利于你的話。
4）Ifyou insist that your persuasion can change his decision, youmay
bark up the wrong tree.
如果你堅(jiān)持認(rèn)為你的勸說能改變他的決定，那你就大錯(cuò)特錯(cuò)了。
5）I may have been barking up the wrongtree, but she does go our a
lot with a man.
我也許怪她了，不過她確實(shí)經(jīng)常和一個(gè)男人出去。
6）She'sbarking up the wrong tree if she's interested inGavin.
Doesn't she know he's gay?
如果她對(duì)加文感興趣真是找錯(cuò)對(duì)象，難道她不知道他是同性戀者?
7）I’m afraid thatyou are barking up the wrong tree. They willnever
stand up for your program.
恐怕你們打錯(cuò)了算盤，他們是決不會(huì)支持你們的計(jì)劃的。
8）Ifshe expects me to get her a position, she is barking upthe
wrong tree.
如果她想讓我替她找個(gè)職位，那她可真是找錯(cuò)門了。
9）Webarked up the wrong tree in the first place. The problem wasnot
as we thought.
從一開始我們就弄錯(cuò)了目標(biāo)，事情根本不像我們想的那樣。
